by Hannes Wessels Reading the second part of Duncan Clarke’s voluminous but quite fascinating study of Cecil Rhodes as the baying mobs of the ‘Black Lives Matter’ movement compel a cowering College of Governors at Oxford’s Oriel College to remove the man’s statue is a saddening experience; a reminder of the folly that follows stupidity […]
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by Steve Lunderstedt 8 -13 June 2020 The week began with more Rumours about rumours about rumours. This one rumour, or perhaps it is two, is about the alcohol and the nicotine bannings and unbannings in South Africa, and in particular Kimberley. Which is where I live hence the concentration on “what’s happening” in […]
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by Hannes Wessels Inevitably, as the father of two spirited and opinionated girls I find myself criticising them for a multitude of perceived sins which involves a lot of me grumbling and remonstrating while reciting tales of yore about ‘when I was […]
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7th June 2020 Originally morse code for three dots (S) three dashes (O) three dots (S) the letters SOS are not an abbreviation for anything despite the phrase ‘Save our Souls’ being in popular usage. The phrase SOS is in general usage today and indicates a need for action or a crisis. This Sunday, some […]
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by Hannes Wessels A few days ago I watched graphic images of the burning down of the Beit Hall at Plumtree School. A beautiful old building built at considerable cost over 100 years ago by early Rhodesian settlers, through which future generations, involving hundreds of thousands of boys of all races have passed on their […]
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by Hannes Wessels Many years ago, at the height of the Zimbabwe land invasions, I raised the issue of British responsibility for the ongoing tragedy with other concerned individuals and victims of the violence. I was mindful of the fact that in 1923 Southern Rhodesia Settlers (“SRS”), through their representative, the ‘Governor In Council’, were […]
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by Steve Lunderstedt Originally morse code for three dots (S) three dashes (O) three dots (S), the letters SOS are not an abbreviation for anything despite the phrase ‘Save our Souls’ being in popular usage. The phrase SOS is in general use today and indicates a need for action or a crisis. SOS […]
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by Hannes Wessels ‘Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me’. This old adage is something I remember from my earliest childhood and in the world that I grew up in it was a way of life. Being half-Afrikaner, did not stop me laughing at my lot; I was brought […]
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by Hannes Wessels I think I’m right in saying that fundamental to the success of Western civilisations through history has been the successful application of the rule of law. Maybe it does not need repeating but in the current context maybe it does; without the rule of law, chaos leading to anarchy is normally […]
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by Hannes Wessels I took some flak following my last article on ‘experts’, but since then I’ve seen little or nothing to lead me to believe I should change my opinion. In fact, events since then have buttressed my view. We can start with Professor Neil Ferguson from Imperial College, London. A leading epidemiologist, Ferguson […]
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